Coal – Pakistan

Coal is found in seams underground. In our mines, these seams are usually less than one meter thick which makes mining very difficult. Coal-mining in this region started in 1887.In Pakistan, coal is mined in the salt Range, around Quetta, and in Lower send from where it is transported by rail to wherever it is needed.

Fifty per cent of Pakistan’s coal is the lower Sindh coalfields which include Meting-Jhimpir, Lakhra and Sonda Thatta. Very large coal reserves have been discovered in Thar that have yet to be exploited. Pakistan has coal reserves of about 185 billion tons. In 2005-06 about 3.9 million tons were mined.

The coal found here is of low quality, as it does s not have a lot of carbon to make it burn well. Pakistan’s coal contains a lot of sulphur and produces a lot of ash and smoke. It is used mainly in brick kilns.